1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a sliding headliner for closing the region below a transparent roof element in a roofliner of a vehicle.
2. Discussion
A sliding headliner of the generic type for closing the region below a transparent roof element in a roofliner is known from DE 19511066 C1. The vehicle roof has a transparent roof element and a sliding headliner for selective opening and closing of the region below the transparent roof element. The transparent roof element can be a sliding roof or a glass roof, for example. In order to close the region below the transparent roof element, the sliding headliner covers the entire area of the roof element and prevents the intrusion of light beams into the interior of the vehicle. Strong insolation is thereby prevented in the vehicle interior.
A surface-lighting unit is additionally arranged in the vehicle in order to illuminate the interior of the vehicle in the event of darkness. Owing to the illumination of a large area, surface-lighting units have a lesser tendency to cast shadows than do punctiform lighting units. A special design of a surface-lighting unit is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,675. The surface-lighting unit has a uniform light distribution over a surface and serves to illuminate an object or a space. The surface-lighting unit has at least one pane, there being arranged on at least one side of the pane a light source around which a reflecting member is arranged which reflects the light into the pane. Provided in the pane are inclined reflecting surfaces which reflect light incident in parallel by an angle of 90.degree. so that the light is emitted directionally in a preferred direction. Arranged on the opposite side of the preferred direction of the transparent pane is a reflecting pane which reflects the light falling thereupon in the desired emitting direction, with the result that a uniform and intensive light emission is achieved in one direction.
With this type of roofliner, it is disadvantageous that when the transparent roof element with a sliding headliner is closed in order to avoid incident light in the motor vehicle or to shade the interior, a large region of the inside of the vehicle roof is covered with the sliding headliner. There is little space for additionally accommodating a lighting unit, particularly a surface-lighting unit on the roofliner.